Westminster Canterbury of Blue Ridge

Project Name: Westminster Canterbury of Blue Ridge

Location: 250 Pantops Mountain Road, Charlottesville, VA 22911

Project Type: Residential Building

Synopsis: During the annual fire pump flow test at Westminster, the fire pump failed to meet the required demand due to a blown pump head and failed bearings. As the pump was rendered inoperable, an immediate solution was required to restore fire suppression capabilities to the facility, ensuring occupant safety while long-term, permanent repairs were planned and executed.

Details: Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, NC, the Westminster campus provides a residential living environment that relies on fully operational fire protection systems to maintain code compliance and occupant safety. Given that life safety is a critical priority for both facility occupants and fire protection professionals, an immediate corrective action was required to restore the fire suppression system to an operational condition. This temporary measure ensured continuous fire protection coverage while permanent repairs to the impaired fire pump system were evaluated and implemented.

Solution: A temporary fire pump system was deployed to maintain reliable fire protection while the existing fire pump equipment was evaluated and scheduled for replacement. The temporary system was strategically installed to bypass the damaged fire pump and supply the required water pressure and flow to the facility’s fire suppression system in accordance with system demand. This solution ensured continuous fire protection coverage without the need to relocate residents or disrupt normal building operations.

Through the rapid implementation of the temporary fire pump system, Westminster maintained compliance with applicable fire and life safety codes and standards, providing uninterrupted protection to occupants while permanent repairs were completed. This timely response enabled a seamless transition back to a fully operational fire suppression system without compromising life safety.

Temporary Fire Pump System Specifications

• Diesel-driven fire pump rated at 1,500 GPM at 155 PSI
• Fire pump controller (FP) – 110 VAC
• Electric jockey pump with dedicated jockey pump (JP) controller
• Integrated test header for flow testing and system verification
• Fire pump discharge piping with isolation provisions
• Adjustable pressure relief valve, field-set to meet required system pressure
• Diesel day tank complete with low fuel level alarm
• Engine supervision and alarm signals including:
  – Low fuel alarm
  – Engine trouble
  – HOA (Hand-Off-Auto) status
  – Normally Open (N.O.) butterfly valve (BFV) supervisory signal
  – Pump run indication
  – Engine trouble alarm output